Guest started arriving promptly at 3:45 (the party started at 4:00) and the surprises: exotic dishes, unexpected faces, reactions to the house or the fire pit, another plate of dessert! didn't taper for hours.
Thank god mom was there to put all the potluck dishes out while I greeted and did house tours. Russ was out back with the boys keeping the fire pit stoked (everyone went out to visit throughout the night). I was expecting around 30 guests. We had over 50! Aunt Carol had to run to the store to get more forks and dessert plates. My sister showed up with extra toilet paper (we only buy a 4-pack at a time - plenty for us!)
Food kept arriving, plates kept being replenished, dishes were emptied and washed. The next door neighbors came over. Dessert was served -- tray after tray of cakes and pies and rice crispie treats.
Around 8:30-9pm the grandparents, parents, kiddies and older folks started clearing out. The last train to the city left at 11:30 and a few more people headed off. My crew of running girls begged one of the guys driving to stay and drive them all home. They would have to squeeze, but he would do it. Russ did some repair work on the keg's tap (beer was only dribbling out making it difficult to get refills). Once the keg was working, we runners enjoyed the free flowing beer and the boys sat around the fire pit until the sun came up.
There were a few children at the party. One of them was an inquisitive 3 and a half year old. He was in the process of packing his own boxes for move of house and to him the project seemed endless. I explained to him that I too had packed a lot of boxes and that we were having this party to celebrate that fact that we had finally unpacked all (white lies!) our boxes. I gestured toward the china cabinet and he examined all the unpacked glasses and dishes, mouth agape.
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